Socio-Political Aspirations
Texts“The joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the men of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted in any way, are the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well. Nothing that is genuinely human fails to find an echo in their hearts. “ (G.S. no. 1)
“The mission of the Church is not only to bring to men the message and grace of Christ, but also to penetrate and perfect the temporal sphere with the spirit of the gospel.” (A.A, no. 5) “You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time? Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?” (Lk. 12:56-57) “To carry out such a task, the Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the gospel. Thus, in language intelligible to each generation, she can respond to the perennial questions which men ask about this present life and the life to come, and about the relationship of the one to the other.” (G.S., no. 4) Exposition/Discussion (Suggested input to synthesize situation of Manong Jose) 1. In our country there are different chains of social and political structures which lead right up to government departments, the highest courts of the land. But all these structures begin with the little man like Manong Jose who is poor and without power. If these structures, however, do not help develop man as man then there is certainly something wrong. 2. No man can exist alone. He depends on other people for almost everything he needs. Because of these needs he is a member of various groups and structures, for these groups and structures are meant to help him. A young child depends on the family for life, food, shelter, affection. The school helps the parents to educate their children. The local and national government provide such things as roads, police protection, laws, etc.. 3. But just as Manong Jose could not stand alone in the nation, so our country depends on other countries. We sell our products to them, and buy theirs. We belong to an international trading structure. However, like Manong Jose, we seem to get a poor return for our efforts. (“the price is governed by the laissez faire principle of supply and demand”; “the supply is greater than the demand.”) 4. So the chain of structures which began with Manong Jose and other small tenants and workers extends to the top of our nation and even across the seas to other countries. It brings some benefits, and it often fails. This failure is in no small way due to the SELF-INTEREST of some of those who are in a position to control and manipulate this chain of structures at the expense of the poor and helpless. 5. OUR CHRISTIAN RESPONSIBILITY. The Christian’s responsibility is to break these chains that prevent him or others from fulfilling his call. “Paul VI, in his encyclical on the Development of Peoples, urged that all should set themselves to this task: Laymen should take up as their own proper task the renewal of the temporal order. If the ROLE OF THE HIERARCHY IS TO TEACH and to interpret authentically the norms of morality to be followed in this matter, it BELONGS TO THE LAITY, without waiting passively for orders and directives, to TAKE THE INITIATIVE FREELY AND TO INFUSE A CHRISTIAN SPIRIT INTO THE MENTALITY, CUSTOMS, LAWS AND STRUCTURES OF THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH THEY LIVE. 6. The Gospel condemns clearly those who use their position as a cover for their treatment of others. “… hypocrites! …You who are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all kinds of corruption. In the same way you appear to people on the outside like good honest men but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Mt. 23: 23-24,28) 7. We can claim to be Christians only to the extent that we treat our fellow men as brothers and equals. “By this shall all men know that you are my followers; if you have loved one another.” What does love of neighbor mean for us today in the Philippines? “… Christian love of neighbor and justice cannot be separated. For love implies an absolute demand for justice, namely, a recognition of the dignity and rights of one’s neighbor. Justice attains its inner fullness only in love. Because every man is truly a visible image of the invisible God and a brother of Christ, the Christian finds in every man God himself and God’s absolute demand for justice and love.” “Many glaring and deliberate violations of people’s basic rights, to have a voice in the making of decisions that affect their lives, exist in our political structures – this is unjust and therefore unchristian. Every Christian therefore by virtue of being a Christian must not only avoid cooperating with such abuses but is bound to do all he can both as an individual and by concerted effort to oppose such injustices and oppression.” (Justice in the World) 8. “The basic fault in our communities' political and social life: the subordinating of the common good to private good … “(Excerpted from the CBCP Statement : "Reform Yourselves and Believe in the Gospel!" (Mark 1:15), January 27, 2008) |
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Church’s Mission and Social Doctrine (Compendium)
1. The Church, God’s dwelling place with men and women
2.The Church, sharing in mankind’s joys and hopes, in its anxieties and sadness, stands with every man and woman of every place and time to bring them the good news of the gospel
3.The Church “is called to contribute to the purification of reason on to the reawakening of those moral forces without which just structures are neither established nor prove effective in the long run” (Benedict XVI, God is love 29)
4.With her social teaching the Church seeks to proclaim the Gospel and make it present in the complex network of social relations.
5.All members of the Church, the laity included, are responsible for incorporating the Gospel values into their families, schools, work places, and into the very structures of society. Both leaders and laity share the same mission of spreading the Gospel in all areas of human life. When it comes to political involvement, PCP II proposed that Pastors have competence in the moral principles governing politics, while laity have competence in active and direct partisan politics. But, “both clergy and laity must be involved in the area of politics when moral and Gospel values are at stake.” (CFC 1162)
6.The Church’s social doctrine is an integral part of her evangelizing ministry.
7.The Church has the right to be a teacher for mankind, a teacher of the truth of faith: the truth not only of dogmas but also of the morals whose source lies in human nature itself and in the Gospel. This right of the Church is at the same time a duty, because she cannot forsake this responsibility without denying herself and her fidelity to Christ.
8. Many Filipinos still question the way the Church performs its duties, especially the role it plays in society. There is a feeling of discomfort, even among Catholics, every time the bishops, priests, and religious enter into secular matters. For some, the Church becomes unpopular whenever it steps out of the sanctuary of the Church building. Even among you students, who are being educated in the Catholic faith, many still think that the Church has no right to say anything on economic, social, and political affairs. To answer this problem, one of the things we need to clarify is the issue of the separation of Church and State.
1. The Church, God’s dwelling place with men and women
2.The Church, sharing in mankind’s joys and hopes, in its anxieties and sadness, stands with every man and woman of every place and time to bring them the good news of the gospel
3.The Church “is called to contribute to the purification of reason on to the reawakening of those moral forces without which just structures are neither established nor prove effective in the long run” (Benedict XVI, God is love 29)
4.With her social teaching the Church seeks to proclaim the Gospel and make it present in the complex network of social relations.
5.All members of the Church, the laity included, are responsible for incorporating the Gospel values into their families, schools, work places, and into the very structures of society. Both leaders and laity share the same mission of spreading the Gospel in all areas of human life. When it comes to political involvement, PCP II proposed that Pastors have competence in the moral principles governing politics, while laity have competence in active and direct partisan politics. But, “both clergy and laity must be involved in the area of politics when moral and Gospel values are at stake.” (CFC 1162)
6.The Church’s social doctrine is an integral part of her evangelizing ministry.
7.The Church has the right to be a teacher for mankind, a teacher of the truth of faith: the truth not only of dogmas but also of the morals whose source lies in human nature itself and in the Gospel. This right of the Church is at the same time a duty, because she cannot forsake this responsibility without denying herself and her fidelity to Christ.
8. Many Filipinos still question the way the Church performs its duties, especially the role it plays in society. There is a feeling of discomfort, even among Catholics, every time the bishops, priests, and religious enter into secular matters. For some, the Church becomes unpopular whenever it steps out of the sanctuary of the Church building. Even among you students, who are being educated in the Catholic faith, many still think that the Church has no right to say anything on economic, social, and political affairs. To answer this problem, one of the things we need to clarify is the issue of the separation of Church and State.
9. The separation of Church and State. For many it means that the Church should not make pronouncements on state decisions or political events and situations. Let us study closely the true meaning and intent of this constitutional provision. From the Constitution itself, we can gather the true meaning of this so-called separation. The pertinent provisions are the following: Art. III, sec. 5; Art. VI, sec. 5 (2); Art. VI, sec. 29 (2); Art. 9 c, sec. 2 (5); Art. VI, sec. 28 (3); Art. XIV, sec. 4 (3); Art. XV, sec. 3 (1); and Art. XIV, sec. 3 (2)
In summary, one may speak of the desired relationship of Church and State in the Philippine Constitution not as a separation but as mutual autonomy and cooperation. For in fact, the State needs the Church in order to instill the necessary ethical, moral, and spiritual values, while the Church needs the State so that it may do its work in freedom and peace.
The basic intent of the Constitutional provision of separation of Church and State is the mutual autonomy of both the Church and State (i.e., the Church and the State should not interfere in each other’s affairs, and should not seek to control each other, or allow themselves to be simply the instrument of each other)
Nowhere in the present Philippine Constitution (1987) do we read:
That the Church cannot make public pronouncements on acts of the State, and on political events and situations;
That individual Church official cannot run for, or occupy public office.
The Church has as much right as any cause-oriented group to express its mind regarding the way the country is being run. The Church is not prohibited by our constitution from proposing a political vision or expressly supporting certain candidates or political party. (The reserve that the Church keeps in this regard stems rather from the nature of the Church, from Canon Law, and from pastoral prudence)
Hence, the separation of Church and State cannot be used as an argument against the involvement of the Catholic faithful and of the Church itself in shaping the political future of our country.
Since the Gospel, which the Church proclaims, proposes a morality for all, touching all aspects of human life, the Gospel has a direct bearing on the economic, social, political, as well as religious life of the people. Hence, we should expect that the Church will speak out on behalf of the poor if their dignity and life are at stake due to injustices in the economic, social, and political structures of the society. This is intrinsic to the Christian Faith, and thus to the mission of the Catholic Church from its inception.
In summary, one may speak of the desired relationship of Church and State in the Philippine Constitution not as a separation but as mutual autonomy and cooperation. For in fact, the State needs the Church in order to instill the necessary ethical, moral, and spiritual values, while the Church needs the State so that it may do its work in freedom and peace.
The basic intent of the Constitutional provision of separation of Church and State is the mutual autonomy of both the Church and State (i.e., the Church and the State should not interfere in each other’s affairs, and should not seek to control each other, or allow themselves to be simply the instrument of each other)
Nowhere in the present Philippine Constitution (1987) do we read:
That the Church cannot make public pronouncements on acts of the State, and on political events and situations;
That individual Church official cannot run for, or occupy public office.
The Church has as much right as any cause-oriented group to express its mind regarding the way the country is being run. The Church is not prohibited by our constitution from proposing a political vision or expressly supporting certain candidates or political party. (The reserve that the Church keeps in this regard stems rather from the nature of the Church, from Canon Law, and from pastoral prudence)
Hence, the separation of Church and State cannot be used as an argument against the involvement of the Catholic faithful and of the Church itself in shaping the political future of our country.
Since the Gospel, which the Church proclaims, proposes a morality for all, touching all aspects of human life, the Gospel has a direct bearing on the economic, social, political, as well as religious life of the people. Hence, we should expect that the Church will speak out on behalf of the poor if their dignity and life are at stake due to injustices in the economic, social, and political structures of the society. This is intrinsic to the Christian Faith, and thus to the mission of the Catholic Church from its inception.
The Nature of the Church's Social Doctrine
1. The Church’s social doctrine was not initially thought of as an organic system but was formed over the course of time, through the numerous interventions of the Magisterium on social issues.
2. The Church’s social doctrine is of a theological nature, specifically theological-moral since it is a doctrine aimed at guiding people’s behavior.
3. The Church uses sources and follows certain standards that contribute to the credibility of CST. It draws upon four major sources, namely: Sacred Scripture, tradition, reason, and human experience
Sacred Scripture. The first moral reality that comes to mind for most Christians when consulting the scripture is the Ten Commandments. The first three refer to the worship and praise of God, while the following seven refer to the love for one’s neighbor, the whole human race, and even all of creation. From the Ten Commandments, Christians recognize that love for God is intrinsically linked with love for others. Following the OT commandments, these two “loves” are taught and perfected by Christ as part of a unified call to become his true disciples. In the NT, Jesus Christ gives witness to this kind of life. His teaching was highlighted in the life of the early Christians who were described by their contemporaries “see how they love one another.” St. Paul confirmed this teaching when he advised the Corinthians concerning their community life: “if one part suffers, all parts suffer with it” (1 Cor. 12:26). This spirit of solidarity sits well among us Filipinos. Our close family ties enable us to feel what the least members of the family feel. We say: “Ang sakit ng kalingkingan, damdam ng buong katawan.” But the challenge for us Filipinos, however, is to extend our sympathy for those beyond our families who are in need. Vatican II picked up what St. Paul advised by asserting that “The joys and hopes …” (GS 1)
Reason. The Catholic Church has always esteemed philosophy, history, and secular sciences as studies that are invaluable at arriving at complex moral judgments. Especially when it comes to its social teachings, the Church has consistently used the careful rational analyses of the social sciences dealing with current social problems, but always within the distinctive moral perspective of Christian faith. Traditionally, the Catholic moral perspective is noted for its teachings on the natural law (NL). NL refers to the moral norms for human conduct drawn from our human nature. The key claim of NL reasoning is that our human nature, especially as viewed with God’s revelation, is the basic norm for judging what is genuinely true and good for all persons, and a source of harmony for all. NL is “nothing other than the light of understanding infused in us by God, whereby we understand what must be done and what must be avoided. God gave this light and this law to human persons (man) at creation.” (John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor, no. 40). So, how has the Church benefited from its use of NL reasoning in its CST? The main advantage is this: NL reasoning relates directly to all humans, not just Christians. Therefore, the Church teaching expressed in NL reasoning is universal – addressed to all human persons. For example, Pope Leo XIII and Pope Pius XI OBSERVEDA THAT THE RESOURCES OF THE EARTH ARE MEANT FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL. Therefore, the concentration of the goods of the earth in the hands of a few is a violation of human dignity, against the natural moral virtue of social justice.
Tradition. The CST are the latest in a long line of Church’s teaching about social issues. Although there were no specific social encyclicals written before 1891, there was a tradition of reflection, discussions, and teachings about the meaning of the social order, peace, and justice that paved the way for the Church’s current social documents which began with Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (Of New Things). The tradition from which CST goes back to the teachings and reflections of the “Fathers of the Church,” such as Clement of Alexandria, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, Ambrose of Milan, Augustine of Hippo, and Jerome. They strongly denounced the greedy obsession of some for accumulating wealth and properties, while insisting on the right to private ownership of property. Against this greed, the Church put much emphasis on the ideal of just distribution of goods. Through time, the Church made every effort to reconcile this ideal of sharing of goods together with the practical demands of private ownership in social life. This task of integrating faith’s reasonable principles with the requirements of practical life was later taken up by the scholastics of the medieval period. They made extensive studies about human social life including many social issues. St. Thomas Aquinas, by distinguishing between ownership and use of private property, was able to safeguard the wisdom of the Fathers in their faith ideal together with realities of social life.
Human Experience. In the field of CST, human experience has come to be understood primarily as the process through which the Church reads and interprets “the signs of the times.” What exactly does the Church mean by “reading the signs of the times?” Basically it refers to the process or intelligible method for coming to a thorough understanding of the situation. The first step is to immerse oneself in the situation in order to have a better look at it. Next, an accurate assessment and judgment are made of what has been observed, followed by the action called for by what was perceived. This three-step process, abbreviated as See-judge-act, has been described lengthily in Mater et Magistra 236-241 of Pope John XXIII’s 1961 encyclical and employed by the Church not only in terms of analyzing social situations but also in spiritual discernment of individuals and groups. Two more steps have been added recently to this process, namely, celebrate and evaluate. Taken as a whole this pattern of See-Judge-Act-Celebrate-Evaluate is a faith experience. It is an ongoing process that the Church uses to develop its CST and, hence, fulfill its mission of proclaiming the Gospel to all ages.
4. The Church’s social doctrine finds its essential foundation in biblical revelation and in the tradition of the Church.
Characteristics of CST: In the development of CST, we can observe two basic characteristics. CST is both permanent and developing.
Permanent. Since the teachings are based on the Gospel, they are timeless in their fundamental values, and offer a permanent complex ideal to be pursued in the ever changing historical conditions and ways. These teachings never go out-of-date in their fundamentals. Such permanent teachings are exemplified in the following principles – human dignity and solidarity, social justice and Christian love, active non-violence and peace, preferential option for the poor, value of human work, universal destination of all goods of the earth, stewardship and the integrity of creation, people empowerment, and authentic and holistic (integral) human development.
Developing. The fundamentals of Church social doctrine make up the steadily growing collection of Church’s social principles that must be creatively applied to, and renewed in, the ever changing concrete situations of various events, cultures, and human needs in the historical process.
5. Faith and reason represent the two cognitive paths of the Church’s social doctrine.
6. These Church’s teachings are not primarily technical solutions to specific problems, but rather: (1) moral principles and priorities that can guide the response to ongoing problems; (20 criteria for evaluating social systems in general and specific programs and legislation on particular issues, and (3) recommendations for the creative pursuit of the common good.
7. The Church’s social doctrine avails itself of contributions from all branches of knowledge, whatever their source, and has an important interdisciplinary dimension.
8. The social doctrine belongs to the Church because the Church is the subject that formulates it, disseminates it and teaches it
9. The object of the Church’s social doctrine is essentially the same that constitutes the reason for its existence: the human person called to salvation, and as such entrusted by Christ to the Church’s care and responsibility.
10. The intent of the Church’s social doctrine is of the religious and moral order.
2. The Church’s social doctrine is of a theological nature, specifically theological-moral since it is a doctrine aimed at guiding people’s behavior.
3. The Church uses sources and follows certain standards that contribute to the credibility of CST. It draws upon four major sources, namely: Sacred Scripture, tradition, reason, and human experience
Sacred Scripture. The first moral reality that comes to mind for most Christians when consulting the scripture is the Ten Commandments. The first three refer to the worship and praise of God, while the following seven refer to the love for one’s neighbor, the whole human race, and even all of creation. From the Ten Commandments, Christians recognize that love for God is intrinsically linked with love for others. Following the OT commandments, these two “loves” are taught and perfected by Christ as part of a unified call to become his true disciples. In the NT, Jesus Christ gives witness to this kind of life. His teaching was highlighted in the life of the early Christians who were described by their contemporaries “see how they love one another.” St. Paul confirmed this teaching when he advised the Corinthians concerning their community life: “if one part suffers, all parts suffer with it” (1 Cor. 12:26). This spirit of solidarity sits well among us Filipinos. Our close family ties enable us to feel what the least members of the family feel. We say: “Ang sakit ng kalingkingan, damdam ng buong katawan.” But the challenge for us Filipinos, however, is to extend our sympathy for those beyond our families who are in need. Vatican II picked up what St. Paul advised by asserting that “The joys and hopes …” (GS 1)
Reason. The Catholic Church has always esteemed philosophy, history, and secular sciences as studies that are invaluable at arriving at complex moral judgments. Especially when it comes to its social teachings, the Church has consistently used the careful rational analyses of the social sciences dealing with current social problems, but always within the distinctive moral perspective of Christian faith. Traditionally, the Catholic moral perspective is noted for its teachings on the natural law (NL). NL refers to the moral norms for human conduct drawn from our human nature. The key claim of NL reasoning is that our human nature, especially as viewed with God’s revelation, is the basic norm for judging what is genuinely true and good for all persons, and a source of harmony for all. NL is “nothing other than the light of understanding infused in us by God, whereby we understand what must be done and what must be avoided. God gave this light and this law to human persons (man) at creation.” (John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor, no. 40). So, how has the Church benefited from its use of NL reasoning in its CST? The main advantage is this: NL reasoning relates directly to all humans, not just Christians. Therefore, the Church teaching expressed in NL reasoning is universal – addressed to all human persons. For example, Pope Leo XIII and Pope Pius XI OBSERVEDA THAT THE RESOURCES OF THE EARTH ARE MEANT FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL. Therefore, the concentration of the goods of the earth in the hands of a few is a violation of human dignity, against the natural moral virtue of social justice.
Tradition. The CST are the latest in a long line of Church’s teaching about social issues. Although there were no specific social encyclicals written before 1891, there was a tradition of reflection, discussions, and teachings about the meaning of the social order, peace, and justice that paved the way for the Church’s current social documents which began with Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (Of New Things). The tradition from which CST goes back to the teachings and reflections of the “Fathers of the Church,” such as Clement of Alexandria, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, Ambrose of Milan, Augustine of Hippo, and Jerome. They strongly denounced the greedy obsession of some for accumulating wealth and properties, while insisting on the right to private ownership of property. Against this greed, the Church put much emphasis on the ideal of just distribution of goods. Through time, the Church made every effort to reconcile this ideal of sharing of goods together with the practical demands of private ownership in social life. This task of integrating faith’s reasonable principles with the requirements of practical life was later taken up by the scholastics of the medieval period. They made extensive studies about human social life including many social issues. St. Thomas Aquinas, by distinguishing between ownership and use of private property, was able to safeguard the wisdom of the Fathers in their faith ideal together with realities of social life.
Human Experience. In the field of CST, human experience has come to be understood primarily as the process through which the Church reads and interprets “the signs of the times.” What exactly does the Church mean by “reading the signs of the times?” Basically it refers to the process or intelligible method for coming to a thorough understanding of the situation. The first step is to immerse oneself in the situation in order to have a better look at it. Next, an accurate assessment and judgment are made of what has been observed, followed by the action called for by what was perceived. This three-step process, abbreviated as See-judge-act, has been described lengthily in Mater et Magistra 236-241 of Pope John XXIII’s 1961 encyclical and employed by the Church not only in terms of analyzing social situations but also in spiritual discernment of individuals and groups. Two more steps have been added recently to this process, namely, celebrate and evaluate. Taken as a whole this pattern of See-Judge-Act-Celebrate-Evaluate is a faith experience. It is an ongoing process that the Church uses to develop its CST and, hence, fulfill its mission of proclaiming the Gospel to all ages.
4. The Church’s social doctrine finds its essential foundation in biblical revelation and in the tradition of the Church.
Characteristics of CST: In the development of CST, we can observe two basic characteristics. CST is both permanent and developing.
Permanent. Since the teachings are based on the Gospel, they are timeless in their fundamental values, and offer a permanent complex ideal to be pursued in the ever changing historical conditions and ways. These teachings never go out-of-date in their fundamentals. Such permanent teachings are exemplified in the following principles – human dignity and solidarity, social justice and Christian love, active non-violence and peace, preferential option for the poor, value of human work, universal destination of all goods of the earth, stewardship and the integrity of creation, people empowerment, and authentic and holistic (integral) human development.
Developing. The fundamentals of Church social doctrine make up the steadily growing collection of Church’s social principles that must be creatively applied to, and renewed in, the ever changing concrete situations of various events, cultures, and human needs in the historical process.
5. Faith and reason represent the two cognitive paths of the Church’s social doctrine.
6. These Church’s teachings are not primarily technical solutions to specific problems, but rather: (1) moral principles and priorities that can guide the response to ongoing problems; (20 criteria for evaluating social systems in general and specific programs and legislation on particular issues, and (3) recommendations for the creative pursuit of the common good.
7. The Church’s social doctrine avails itself of contributions from all branches of knowledge, whatever their source, and has an important interdisciplinary dimension.
8. The social doctrine belongs to the Church because the Church is the subject that formulates it, disseminates it and teaches it
9. The object of the Church’s social doctrine is essentially the same that constitutes the reason for its existence: the human person called to salvation, and as such entrusted by Christ to the Church’s care and responsibility.
10. The intent of the Church’s social doctrine is of the religious and moral order.
Integration:
Doctrine:
The Church is the bearer of the fundamental truths that ground good morals, Doctrinal truths, rooted in God’s Word revealed in the Scripture, tradition, human nature, and human experiences, are the only adequate bases for Christian moral life.
Morals
Throughout the ages the Church has maintained its role in society as the source and solid point of reference when it comes to the morality of customs and ways of acting.
Morals
Throughout the ages the Church has maintained its role in society as the source and solid point of reference when it comes to the morality of customs and ways of acting.
Worship:
- The worship dimension of our faith plays a vital role in our efforts to read the signs of the times and act responsibly. In praying, either in private or in the liturgy of the community, we have the proper venue and right disposition to be sensitive to God’s love and our moral responsibilities, especially social obligations. Thus, we are enabled to discern accurately and be motivated to respond vigorously to our Christian social obligations.